Archive for the 'Jeff Locke' Tag Under 'UCLA' Category

Only a select few punters are drafted in the NFL Draft, as most find their fate in free agency. But a handful of elite punters are lucky enough to have their named called at the podium.

And on Saturday that list included UCLA punter Jeff Locke, making him the first punter off the board with the 155th pick by the Minnesota Vikings.

Locke is the third UCLA player to get drafted this year, along with running back Johnathan Franklin (Green Bay) and defensive end Datone Jones (Green Bay). He was widely considered to be the best punter in college football last season, and even with three punters currently on the Vikings' roster, it's reasonable to think that he'll be in the mix to be Minnesota's starting punter from day one.

UCLA hasn't had more than four players drafted in the NFL Draft in over a decade. But with this year's draft set to kick off on Thursday night, the Bruins could be set to have their most successful showing in the annual event in recent memory.

At least four UCLA players are expected to be drafted on Thursday with Datone Jones, Johnathan Franklin, Jeff Baca, and Joe Fauria all seemingly guaranteed to go some time in the draft's seven rounds. But if late-round fliers like punter Jeff Locke, who is considered by some to be the best at the position, or cornerbacks Aaron Hester and Sheldon Price were to sneak into the draft, Mora's first offseason could prove to be a successful one when it comes to churning out NFL talent.

Let's take a look at where each of UCLA's likely draftees stands heading into Thursday's first round:

DATONEJONES

Position: Defensive endMeasurables: 6-4, 283 poundsStrengths: Jones is a seriously athlete with a devastating burst off the line, and in his final season at UCLA, he greatly improved his hands and moves -- using martial arts -- to help him create better separation and become more of a havoc in the backfield. He's also got one of the best combinations of strength and speed in his class, finishing 10th in the 40-yard dash and fifth in bench press among defensive ends.Weaknesses: The biggest knock against Jones is that he's a tweener defensive end -- one that isn't quite fast enough and doesn't get quite enough separation to be in a 4-3 scheme, but isn't strong enough to take on double teams as a 3-4 end. Mora and defensive line coach Angus McClure have fervently evaluated his tweener-ness as an advantage, making him more versatile. I suppose it depends on how you evaluate him. He still could get in better shape and continue to improve technique-wise, depending on what position a team puts him in, but there are no glaring weaknesses in his game besides his lack of a true fit.Draft range: Anywhere from Indianapolis' No. 24 pick in the first round to somewhere early in the second.Most likely suitors: Green Bay, Indianapolis, New England, Denver, and San Francisco have also been mentioned. The Packers or 49ers may be the best bet at this point.

UCLA senior safety Andrew Abbott, a former walk-on from Mater Dei High who became a Bruins starter and a 2012 co-captain, is among 10 semi-finalists for the 2012 Burlsworth Trophy.

Burlsworth Trophy semi-finalist Andrew Abbott of UCLA made one of his interceptions against Nebraska. (PHOTO BY MARK J. TERRILL, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS)

The Burlsworth Trophy, named for the late Arkansas lineman Brandon Burlsworth, is awarded to the most outstanding football player in America that began his career as a walk-on.

Abbott has four interceptions this season for the 9-2 Bruins, who won the Pac-12 South Division.

Fan voting for the Burlworth began Tuesday, and runs through Nov. 27. Votes can be cast at www.burlsworthtrophy.com. The fan vote counts for 5 percent of each round, and is combined with voting by the selection committee.

The start of the 2012 college football season is just right around the corner, which means preseason award watch lists have begun to surface.

In a release from UCLA Wednesday, it was announced that punter Jeff Locke has been named to the Ray Guy Award watch list, which honors the country's top collegiate punter. Locke was also named to the College Football Performance Awards list on Monday.

Along with Locke, Bruins tight end Joseph Fauria and running back Jonathan Franklin are preseason award watch list honorees, too.

Fauria has earned a spot on the 2012 John Mackey Award watch list, an award that goes to the top tight end in the country, and also on the College Football Performance Awards watch list. Franklin was named to the Maxwell Award List, according to a release from UCLA on uclabruins.com.

UCLA became the first team in NCAA history to finish a season 6-8 after falling to Illinois 20-14 in the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl Saturday at AT&T Park in San Francisco.

Here's the Bruins' final game report card:

Offense

The good: Bruin quarterback Kevin Prince threw for 201 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Prince found six different receivers including high school teammate Joseph Fauria, who had a team-high five receptions.

Former UCLA kicker Kai Forbath couldn't have picked a more ironic day to attend practice.

Coach Rick Neuheisel announced Thursday walk-on and former soccer team manager Tyler Gonzalez will handle extra points and short field goals for the Bruins on Saturday against Washington State.

Gonzalez replaces punter Jeff Locke, who hooked two extra-point attempts last week and had an extra point and field goal blocked the week before. Gonzalez, a senior, joined the team three weeks ago when Kip Smith went down with an injury, but has yet to appear in a game. He last kicked a field goal while a senior at Fullerton high, where he made six attempts and 22 extra points.

“We're going to let Tyler have a shot,” Neuheisel said. “It's a heck of a story.”

Gonzalez's story is largely the result of UCLA not signing a kicker between Forbath in 2006 and Smith in 2010. Smith has missed the past three games with a bothersome hip flexor. Neuheisel said Locke will still handle field goals greater than 40 yards.

UCLA led Oregon State for more than three quarters but the game wasn't decided until the second-to-last play. Offensive coordinator Mike Johnson said the Bruins had a perfect opportunity to “break the game open” much earlier.

It came in the final minute of the second quarter, with UCLA leading 21-3, just two plays before the Beavers' Jordan Poyer returned Jeff Locke's hotly debated punt 85 yards for a touchdown.

On second-and-1, Richard Brehaut missed an open Randall Carroll, who had a linebacker trailing him, on a deep pass down the middle of the field. Brehaut was unable to step into his throw and short-armed it because right tackle Mike Harris had been pushed back into him.

“I was more frustrated about that then anything else in that game,” Johnson said. “That's one play that I think if we have that opportunity 10 times, we ought to have a touchdown nine. That could have been a game changer.

“It takes all 10 guys and the quarterback throwing it to execute and get that touchdown. It came up exactly how we drew it up and we didn't get it off. Every team we've played, if we executed, we scored, whether it's Texas, San Jose State, Houston or Oregon State. That's what I'm putting the emphasis on. It doesn't matter what play we call. It's about executing that play.”

UCLA punter Jeff Locke took over the place-kicking duties for injured Kip Smith and could claim the job after booting two long-range field goals Saturday.

Locke nailed field goals of 51 yards and 49 yards in the loss. He also made two extra points.

“It definitely would have felt better with the win, with my teammates having success also, but it felt pretty good,” Locke said. “I felt good in all three phases.”

Locke said he found out Friday he would be the Bruins' place kicker, despite a successful tryout by Tyler Gonzalez, the team manager for the UCLA soccer team. Gonzalez suited up, but didn't see any action in the loss to Texas.

The quarterback situation was settled Tuesday night when Coach Rick Neuheisel named Kevin Prince the starter for Saturday's opener at Houston.

If only the placekicking situation was as easy to figure out. Right now, two days from the first game of the season, the starting placekicker remains unknown and could remain that way up until game time.

Neuheisel said Wednesday he would decide after Saturday's pregame warm-ups who will handle the kicking duties -- red-shirt freshman Kip Smith or punter/kickoff man Jeff Locke.

"I have a couple of options. Kip has gotten better and I think he's going to answer the bell," Neuheisel said after Wednesday's practice. "But Jeff Locke is proven in the other two spots so we'll just have to see how it goes in pregame and make a decision at that time."

Neuheisel's indecision stems from the fact Smith, who was expected to seamlessly take over for all-conference kicker Kai Forbath, has been inconsistent during summer workouts. And Neuheisel is reluctant to put all the work on Locke, one of the best punters in UCLA history who hasn't handled place kicking duties on a regular basis since 2007.

The top kicking prospect came to UCLA a year ago, just in time to witness Kai Forbath's senior season and take over the starting job as a redshirt freshman this fall. Only Smith has been unsuccessful in the latter -- his timing is off.

"He's a little fast in the mechanics," special teams coach Angus McClure said. "He's not supposed to leave until the holder's back hand rises. So he shouldn't be watching the ball, but he's watching the ball like a lot of young kickers do. That's what's led to his inconsistency.

"When he's made his big kicks he's been 1.3, 1.31, right in that range. When he's missed he's been 1.1. That's how fast he's been."

Those .2 seconds are crucial for a play in which so much happens in so little time. And means so much. Smith, who altered his kicking form this past summer following an inconsistent spring, has other mechanical issues. He's stopped kicking with all his leg strength, like he did in high school, and is learning to follow through.